4G 



THE GARDENER. 



[Jan. 



painting unless the Vines have had in- 

 sects on them last year. "Wash every 

 j)art of the wood- work, and glass, and 

 whitewash the walls. Kemove all in- 

 ert soil from the surface of the bor- 

 der, and replace it with equal parts 

 loam and horse-droppings, and a little 

 bone-meal. In some instances early- 

 started grapes will be thinned, or ready 

 to thin, and if required as early as 

 jjossible to succeed late Grapes, may be 

 forced briskly on as the days lengthen ; 

 65° is sufficient at night. The forcing 

 should be chietiy by day, under the in- 

 fluence of light. Do not over-crop, 

 especially if the Vines are worth caring 

 for. If the eai-iiest crop is in pots, see 

 that they are very attentively watered, 

 and top-dressed with horse-droppings, 

 into which surface-roots will soon find 

 their way and feed. Avoid an over- 

 moist atmosphere in all houses where 

 Vines are in leaf, especially in dull 

 weather, when air cannot be given in 

 sufficient amount to prevent the foliage 

 from being affected with warts. Dis- 

 bud later houses, and stop and tie down 

 the shoots. Thin off the bunches in the 

 case of free-setting sorts to one bunch 

 on each shoot for the present. Avoid 

 the crowding in of too many growths, 

 and just tie in as many as can get 

 room to expand their foliage to the full 

 light' and no more. Start succession- 

 houses ; and presuming that a ridge of 

 leaves has been laid in the inside bor- 

 der, turn over a portion of them daily 

 to let the heat and moisture escape into 

 the air : after they have broken an inch 

 or two this maybe discontinued. Begin 

 them at 45° to 50° at night, regulat- 

 ing the heat according to the weather ; 

 gradually increase it to 60° by the time 

 the buds have all well started into 

 growth. If they show a tendency to 

 break well at the top and not at the 

 bottom of the Vines, bend the tops 

 down, where the temperature is low, 

 and elevate the bottom part of them as 

 much as possible. The atmosphere 

 should be kept moist till they are 

 broken, and in bright weather the 

 syringe may be used morning and after- 

 noon till the buds swell. Put in a 

 suflBcient number of V^ine eyes required 

 to be grown into plants for another 

 season's fruiting. These may be put 

 singly in 3-inch pots, or altogether 

 in a pan or box : we prefer the former. 

 Let them stand in a temperature of 

 45° to 50^ till early in February. 

 Peaches. — Force cautiously if the 



weather be dull and cold. When the 

 trees are in bloom keep the temperature 

 at 50°, and give more or less air daily 

 to create a circulation of dry air about 

 the trees. Take pollen from sorts that 

 produce it freely with a camel-hair 

 brush, and a])ply it to the blooms of 

 shy setting-sorts, such as N(jblesse. 

 There is, however, not much difficulty 

 in securing a good set, provided a 

 steady heat is maintained and cold cur- 

 rents of air are prevented. As soon as 

 the fruit are set, raise the temperature 

 to 55°. On the afternoons of fine days 

 syringe all trees not in bloom ; but when 

 it is dull and cold, just sprinkle the 

 floor and walls of the house. Prune 

 and tie in succession- house, dressing 

 them as directed in the case of Vines. 

 If they have had insects about them 

 last season, top-dress the borders with 

 rotten manure, unless in the case of 

 young trees growing vigorously, which 

 should not be manured. Start the 

 second Peach-house by the end of the 

 month, beginning with 50° at night, 

 imless w^hen very cold. As soon as the 

 young growths in early houses can be 

 rubbed off, go over them and remove 

 a poi'tion of them, completing the opera- 

 tion of disbudding at not less than three 

 times. A high temperature andmoistat- 

 mosphere, when forcing is commenced, 

 have a tendency to force on the wood 

 too much in advance of the blooms, in 

 which case Peaches never set so well, 

 because their organs of fructification are 

 weak. When the fruit sets in clusters, 

 go over them immediately the blooms 

 are shed and thin them off, leaving 

 only one in a place, and always leaving 

 the largest. The thinning, like dis- 

 budding, should be done at intervals, 

 and not all at once. 



Figs. — When the early crop is pro- 

 duced from trees in pots, now is a good 

 time to start them. Plunge them in a 

 bed of leaves with a bottom -heat of 80°. 

 The air temperature will be high 

 enough at 50° to begin with, increasing 

 it to 55° by the time they burst their 

 buds. Top-dress them with something 

 rich. Syringe them twice daily when 

 the weather is bright, and keep them 

 steadily moist at the root. If they are 

 in need of a shift they should be shifted 

 at once, but the best time to shift is in 

 aiitumn. In potting, use a rather strong 

 loam, with a fifth part of horse-drop- 

 pings, and a little bone-meal. Figs 

 planted out, and intended to succeed 

 those in pots, should be pruned if not 



